California’s Wine Country, Redwoods & Yosemite

Your California holiday begins at London Heathrow this morning, where we meet the Tour Manager before boarding our flight to San Francisco, California's most renowned bohemian coastal city and cultural hub.

On arrival, we are transferred to our hotel, conveniently located at Fisherman's Wharf. After check-in, you are free to explore the neighbourhood for dinner or could choose to eat at our hotel.

Waking this morning in California's City by the Bay, some of San Francisco's most famous sites await on a guided sightseeing tour. After breakfast, we set out with our guide, passing iconic landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street and Chinatown on our sightseeing drive through the city.

Our excursion concludes at Pier 33, where you are free over lunchtime. You might like to seek out a sourdough bread bowl, loaded with San Francisco's famous clam chowder. After lunch, a ferry takes us across the bay to Alcatraz. History comes to life as we walk through the cell blocks and see artefacts left behind after the prison's closing.

The ferry takes us back to San Francisco, where we have dinner together as a group this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving San Francisco by coach this morning, we head toward the Santa Cruz Mountains, where we discover the region's logging history at Roaring Camp Railroads. Here, we board the Redwood Forest steam train, a narrow-gauge railway that provides an unforgettable look at towering redwoods.

Our train departs from Felton and winds through the forest enroute to the summit of Bear Mountain. The journey lasts approximately one hour, and there's the opportunity to take in the stunning scenery from closed or open-air train cars.

Rejoining our coach, we continue to the city of Santa Cruz, where we pause with time for an independent lunch before continuing our drive inland to our hotel at the gateway to Yosemite National Park. Nestled in the Sierra National Forest, our hotel provides a scenic base for two nights. There's time to get settled in and admire the views before rejoining our group for dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We get our first looks at the astounding beauty of Yosemite National Park after breakfast today. Majestic scenery surrounds our drive into the south entrance of the park, with views of forests and towering granite monoliths.

After some free time for lunch and to begin soaking in nature's jaw-dropping offerings, we set out on a guided tour of Yosemite Valley. An expert guide offers invaluable insight into the history of the park, the wildlife and the indigenous people who once lived here as our route unfolds. The scenic vistas along the way are breathtaking and include waterfalls and the High Sierra Mountains.

We return to the hotel with a free evening to have dinner at the hotel or relax after a day of scenic explorations.

• Breakfast

With an early start, our journey continues toward California's wine country today. We set out from Fish Camp by coach and drive north to Jamestown, where we pause. There is free time to find lunch on your own in this historic Gold Rush town, before we step back in time with a visit to a California Historical Landmark, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park.

This attraction is located in the heart of gold-mining country and includes a still-operational Roundhouse and locomotive repair facility. The famous Jamestown Historic Shops, including the Depot Store, is also located onsite, as is an interpretive centre filled with informative exhibits and experiences that combine California's history with the film industry. There are even operational trains that you can view.

Back on the road, the scenery changes from city to rolling hills and lush vineyards, marking our arrival in wine country near Sonoma. We check in to our hotel, then the evening is at leisure to immerse yourself in one of the world's most celebrated wine and food destinations.

• Breakfast

Today brings a chance to experience the golden age of rail travel once more as we board the Napa Valley Wine Train. We travel by coach to downtown Napa, where we board the prestigious train, which takes passengers to St Helena and back.

Onboard the train, the mahogany-lined lounge car is the perfect place to enjoy the sights, and there are four onboard kitchens in which chefs prepare sumptuous meals paired with wines from several of the region's beloved wineries. Our unparalleled experience on this train includes lunch as we roll through the landscape and rolling vineyards and grand estates come into view.

After the train ride, we return to the hotel where the rest of your day and evening is at leisure. You could sample more of the region's fabulous gastronomy or wander among the picturesque scenery.

• Breakfast, Lunch

We begin the day amidst green vines and juicy grapes as we visit two wineries for tastings. Setting out after breakfast, we first visit Beringer Vineyards, where we are treated to a tour of the facility and a tasting of its most popular wines.

Our route continues to the town of Helena in the heart of the Napa wine region, where we have free time to find lunch locally. As the centre of the St Helena American Viticultural Area, there are many incredible places to continue sipping Sonoma and Napa wines and indulge in perfectly paired dishes before we continue to Sterling Vineyards. Here, a self-guided tour introduces the grounds and wine-making process, and then we wrap up our excursion with another tasting experience.

Back in Rohnert Park, the rest of the evening is free to soak up the sights before a farewell dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast in Rohnert Park, we travel by coach back to San Francisco and check in to our hotel by Fisherman's Wharf.

The rest of the day is free to explore this enticing city and there are many options to either delve deeper into places we saw on our guided tour or visit new areas. Haight-Ashbury was the centre of San Francisco's counterculture in the 1960s and is synonymous with the Summer of Love. It retains its colourful and energetic bohemian style to this day with murals of musicians and numerous small music venues. The city also boasts many impressive museums and galleries, such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Walt Disney Family Museum and the Cable Car Museum.

A great food-lovers' destination, you could spend the day sampling excellent cuisine throughout San Francisco. Head to Mission to sample the iconic burritos in famous taquerias, stroll through the largest collection of Chinese restaurants outside Asia among the lantern-lit streets of Chinatown, where the fortune cookie was invented, or explore the wharves near our hotel for fantastic seafood.

• Breakfast

Heading down the coast after breakfast today, we explore this scenic part of California on a coach journey to our first destination, the irresistible town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

A fairytale village brought to life, Carmel boasts cobblestone lanes, whimsical cottages and a thriving arts scene that has inspired visitors for more than a century. Stroll between galleries, sample premium wines at charming tasting rooms and take in the beauty of Carmel Beach, carpeted with soft white sand and offering breathtaking views in every direction. After exploring, we continue our coastal journey to nearby Monterey, a historic seaside town famous for its rugged beauty. There's time to explore Cannery Row, once the heart of the sardine-packing industry and now home to shops, restaurants and cultural landmarks. You may wish to visit the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, take a stroll along Fisherman's Wharf or simply enjoy the stunning ocean views and perhaps spot sea otters bobbing in the bay.

After a day spent exploring the beauty of California's iconic coast, we return to San Francisco for our final dinner as a group.

• Breakfast, Dinner

There's free time to enjoy your final day in San Francisco after breakfast.

You might like to take the ferry across the bay to Sausalito, a charming waterfront town known for its boutique shops, art galleries and colourful houses. With its relaxed pace and stunning views back across the bay to San Francisco, it's a lovely spot for a coffee by the water or a leisurely stroll along the marina. Alternatively, stay in the city and soak up a little more of its unique atmosphere, perhaps browsing the shops around Union Square or enjoying a final lunch at the Ferry Building marketplace, where artisanal food stalls showcase the best of northern California's flavours.

Later, we regroup and transfer to San Francisco airport for an overnight flight back to the UK.

• Breakfast

The Golden State's varied scenery and impressive destinations have set the stage for a vacation to remember. From the bustling streets of San Francisco, where we viewed sites steeped in culture and history, to awe-inspiring views of redwood forests, giant sequoias and the Yosemite Valley, each day has presented a new side of California. And, of course, there is no better place to toast to a route well-explored than wine country, where we rounded out our itinerary.

Today, your Californian holiday draws to a close as we land at London Heathrow and you can make your way home.

• Breakfast